It’s no secret that licensed slots are a lot more popular than literally any other slot ever. Don’t believe me? Go look up the top 10 most popular online slots in your area – 9 out of 10 will be licensed, and the 10th will be “Mega Moolah”, also known as “That one slot that people only play because it regularly turns players into millionaires”. As much as it sucks to admit it, there’s currently an overabundance of online slots available to us, with online casinos boasting hundreds upon hundreds of these games, most of which are, for all intents and purposes, completely identical. Players, especially newer ones that are just getting into online gambling and aren’t quite sure where to start, often tend to gravitate towards the names that they recognize, like “The Avengers” or “Game of Thrones”, which urges slot developers to make more and more licensed slots regardless of how little sense a certain property makes (I mean, did even a single person on Earth ask for a “Bridesmaids” slot? If so, I would love to meet them, I bet they’re fascinating). But sometimes, a licensed property seems tailor-made to be turned into a slot, with numerous characters, an interesting artstyle and lots of potential for bonus games, to the point where you need to stop and wonder just why we haven’t gotten a slot adaptation yet. Here are three suggestions for slots based on popular licenses that really need to happen! Since Disney has a firm anti-gambling stance at the moment, I have excluded any Marvel, Star Wars or Disney properties from the list (and besides, if I hadn’t, I would’ve filled it with Marvel stuff anyway). With that disclaimer, let’s get started!
1. Suicide Squd
True, “Suicide Squad” is currently being ravaged by critics, with a score of only 27% on Rotten Tomatoes (for reference, “The Room”, largely considered to be the worst movie of all time, has 33% approval), but honestly, I don’t think it was that bad. It was certainly better than the 2011 “Green Lantern” or the 2013 “Man of Steel”, both of which are about to get their own slot adaptations from PlayTech pretty soon. Yes, the same PlayTech that have created “The Avengers”, also known as one of the most popular online slots of all time. Hey, here’s a crazy idea – we already know that PlayTech make awesome slots out of ensemble movies, so how about we don’t force them to make an adaptation based on the “Green Lantern” movie that nobody liked and that “Deadpool” so hilariously ripped to shreds every chance it got (“Just don’t make the supersuit green! Or animated!”) and instead let them focus on a movie that would be a lot more suited for a slot treatment? I mean, come on! Lots of characters? Check! Crazy color scheme and visual style? Check! Lots of opportunities for bonuses? Double check! Make it happen, Playtech!
2. The Simpsons
Theeee Siiiimpsoooons… Duuun dun dun dun duuun dun dun dundundundundun! I’m sorry, I’m, like, contractually obligated to sing the theme song of this show whenever I hear the name. The longest running animated TV show by FAR (it actually achieved that record back in 1997 and is still going strong to this day), “The Simpsons” has been on air for so long that many people who at first associated with the children have now grown up to associate with the adults. While many who are not intimately familiar with the show often think that it’s just for kids because of its cute, kid-friendly animation, the fact of the matter is that many episodes touch on social issues that would give “South Park” a run for its money, even if it does so in a more subtle, less crass way. So, with that said, I think it’s about time for “The Simpsons” to take a swing at gambling and slot culture as well! I mean, come on, you’ve got MORE than enough characters and materials to make, like, twenty slots if you wanted to – surely you can make one that’s jam-packed with features and bonuses from across the Simpsons history (with at least one celebrity cameo, because that’s how “The Simpsons” rolls). As for who would be best suited to bring this to life, well, why not NetEnt, the folks who already brought us a wonderful slot based on the aforementioned “South Park” and have proven time and time again that they know their stuff? Though to be fair, I’m technically cheating a little, since “The Simpsons” already has a slot, but it’s a physical one with no online equivalent, and it’s only available in certain regions, so I think that an online version is way overdue!
3. Assassin’s Creed
Yes, the “Assassin’s Creed” franchise holds a very special place in my heart, and no, I don’t care that I’m biased. When you think about it, it’s absolutely perfect for the online slot treatment! For those of you who don’t know what it’s about, “Assassin’s Creed” is a series of anthology games which are set all across history, with the earliest set during the Crusades and the latest set in Victorian London. Naturally, you’ve got a TON of characters and a TON of different settings between those two eras, including, but not limited to, Renaissance Italy, 16th century China, colonial America, Paris during the French Revolution and more. With the movie that’s coming out this year set to add the Spanish Inquisition to the mix, which nobody expected, that’s another era that’s ripe for the picking, alongside a fresh excuse to make a slot! Just think about it – do you know the “King Kong” slot, where every time you activate a bonus feature your entire slot, including its symbols, change between Skull Island and New York? Imagine that, but on a much grander scale, with entire eras changing depending on the bonus that you trigger. There’s just so much potential here, and considering the fact that “Assassin’s Creed” is Ubisoft’s biggest franchise, the brand recognition is most certainly through the roof!